Biopsychology - 01 The Divisions of The Nervous System Flashcards
What 2 systems is the nervous system separated into and what do they each do?
Central nervous system (complex processing)
Peripheral nervous system (body wide network of messenger neurons)
What does the CNS separate into and what do they do?
Brain (all conscious & most un-conscious processing)
Spinal cord (receives and transmits information &some reflex processing)
What does the PNS separate into?
Autonomic nervous system
Somatic nervous system
What does the somatic nervous system do?
controls muscle movement and receives information from sensory receptors & connects the CNS and the senses
What does the automatic nervous system do?
governs vital functions in the body such as breathing, heart rate, digestion, sexual arousal and stress response
What does the autonomic nervous system separate into?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic
What does the sympathetic nervous system cause? (6 things)
-increases bodily activities
-releases noradrenaline
-activates in stress response
-heart rate, sweat, breathing rate increases
-dilates pupils
-inhibits digestion
What does the parasympathetic nervous system cause? (6 things)
-decreases bodily activities
-releases acetylcholine
-activates in rest
-heart rate, sweat, breathing rate decreases
-constricts pupils
-stimulates digestion
What makes up the PNS?
The nerves outside the CNS
What does the PNS do?
transmits messages via millions of neurons to and from the CNS
What is the function of the spinal cord?
-relays information between the brain and the rest of the body
-allows the brain to monitor and regulate bodily processes and coordinate voluntary movement
-reflex actions
What is the function of the brain?
-the centre of all conscious awareness
-responsible for coordinating sensation, intellectual activity and nervous activity
